


A QUESTION OF INTENTION

by StarWars1977



Category: Star Wars - Original Trilogy
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 10:12:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5739736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarWars1977/pseuds/StarWars1977
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Death Star is destroyed.  The Rebels have a reprieve and<br/>are resting and regrouping on Yavin.<br/>General Rieekan wonders WHY Han Solo is still with them.<br/>He wants some answers and gets them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A QUESTION OF INTENTION

The young rebel called out to the tall, dark-haired man he had been searching for throughout the halls of Yavin Base.

The effort had not been easy, as the man in question moved with quick purpose, but eventually, he caught up with

him. 

"Captain Solo!"

At the summons, Han paused and turned. He didn't recognize the Rebel. "Yeah?"

"I've been looking all over for you." The out-of-breath youth remarked as he drew along side the Corellian smuggler,

glad he had finally stopped.

"Well, now you found me What do you want?"

A slight blush of surprise flashed over the young man's face. He hadn't expected such abruptness from one of

the Alliance's newly-decorated heroes.

"Uh..I don't want you...sir...ah...General Rieekan wants to see you in the Command Center as soon as possible."

Han muttered an impatient curse under his breath as he absently adjusted the fit of the strapped holster against

his right thigh. The resultant creak of leather was the only sound in the hallway as the soldier waited for a response.

"All right.." Han finally --reluctantly -- agreed. He had no particular love for military hierarchy, even among

the Rebels, especially one of whom he still knew little about. Not hearing the messenger's grateful 'Thanks.", he turned

and headed down the corridor which would take him to the Command Center.

*****************************************************************************************

Han's sharp rap on the Command Center door brought an immediate acknowledgement.

"Come in." Rieekan's gravelly voice was unmistakable.

"You wanted to see me, General?" Han closed the door behind him.

"Ah, Captain Solo," the officer greeted, closing a file drawer.

"Yes, I did. Please---" He gestured toward a chair, "have a seat."

Han did as requested; the greying man then settled himself behind a cluttered desk.

"I have something here I think you have a right to see." Rieekan said as he withdrew a data hardcopy 

from a folder.

With a puzzled frown, Han took the offered papers and began scanning them. Rieekan remained silent while Han

read, watching the play of different emotions across the young man's features; shock, amusement, suprise, anger.

Predictably, the pilot jumped angrily to his feet when he was done, slamming the report on the desk.

"What the hell do you mean, checking me out!?! He demanded. "How did you get all that? I thought I had my

tracks pretty well covered.?

"You did. It wasn't easy...it took me quite a while to get this information and confirm it."

The admission did nothing to placate the Corellian. 

"There's enough charges there to have me executed four times, if I'm turned over to the authorities." He paced off

his anger, circling the perimeter of the room like a cornered see-tar. He felt exposed, betrayed, no longer in control of

the situation, a position in which he never like to be.

Rieekan waited for the man's anger to subside, knowing that only then would a rational conversation be possible.

"Is this how you treat people who help your....rebellion?" Han went on, "Just a few days ago, in your presence, your

High and Mighty Princess===he waved an arm in a wide sweep, indicating the presence of Senator Organa somewhere

on the base, "Gave me a Metal of Honor, and now you show me all this evidence you dug up against me! Well, let me

tell you something....General." He spat the word with all the contempt he had ever felt for any authority.

"Hell and Hoth will exchange climates before I EVER help you people again!"

Rieekan retrieved the papers. "You've come to a mistaken conclusion, Captain." He nodded toward the chair, an

unspoken invitation for the Corellian to take his seat again. Han hesitated before resettling himself.

"If you will think about it," Rieekan continued in explaination, 'you'll realize that the Alliance is in much the same

position as you; outlaws, outcasts by some societies and sought after by those very same authorities to which you refer. We'd gain

nothing by handing you over to them. That wasn't the purpose for this information search."

"What was?" Han questioned skeptically, his hand to his lips.

"Security reasons. We didn't really know who you were, or anything about you. You could have been planted by the Imperial

Forces or even the Emperor himself. That bloodstripe you wear certainly attests to the fact of your past military association."

Anger was still readable on Han face. "How in the name of all the curses of Ka'mon could you think I was an Imperial spy

when I helped Luke blow that DEATH STAR into a million pieces? If I was working for the Emperor, I don't think he would be too happy 

with me for helping the Rebels kill a lot of his officers...a lot of high-ranking ones, I'll bet."

Rieekan laughed shortly, his humor not patronizing. "You know military strategy; your record shows it. You must know

that this wouldn't be the first time an agent destroyed some of his own installations -- and people -- to convince an opponent of his

sincerity, or to preserve his cover. What better way is there to infiltrate the enemy ranks than to help them pull off a difficult

attack? What's the saying, "Sacrifice of the few for the cause of the many?"

"Something like that." Han agreed, still suspicious and plainly hurt.

The general drew a deep breath before speaking again. He gazed at the younger man with a wise and knowing eye. "Besides, "

he continued frankly, "You would've done the same thing, were our positions reversed. Would you have thought any more--

or less-- of us if we hadn't bothered to run the check, and had accepted you, a total stranger, on your word alone?"

Han smiled in spite of himself. Apparently, Rieekan knew more about him than the facts in that report revealed.

"No", he admitted, relaxing. " I wouldn't've."

Pleased with this concession, the General flipped through the printout. "Let's go over some of this" He suggested, scanning

the papers and drawing out various pertinent bits of information.

"Your schooling and military training are among the best I've ever seen. You're from a well-known and highly respected 

Corellian family. Han Solo is not your real name." Rieekan glanced up to see Han wince at that piece of information.

" You also have two younger brothers and a younger sister. You were once engaged to be married. You commanded quite a few missions 

and acquired several decorations, including the Mark of Excellence. Quite an accomplishment for one of Jabba the Hutt's spice smugglers."

Another unbidden smile played over Han's lips.

"it's unfortunate your military career ended the way it did, with false charges and a courtmartial. You had quite a future

to look forward to." Rieekan paused and drew a deep breath. "Betrayal by the ones you serve can leave scars that won't be healed

by time alone."

Silence shrouded the room as Rieekan finished studying the report, which further detailed Han's more recent exploits in the

smuggler's underworld. "I'm surprised you chose to deal with the Hutt." Rieekan commented.

"A guy has to make a living". Solo mused dryly.

The General laid down the papers and faced the young man before him with honest, objective appraisal.

"When I said it was unfortunate your military career ended as it did, I meant it was unfortunate for the Empire. They obviously don't 

recognize talent when they see it. You've got character, Solo, and a lot of fine qualiteis you can't hide under those scruffy deck clothes and that

intimidating blaster. We could use a man like you."

Rieekan's bluntness surprised Han almost as much as his commendations; for a while; the Corellian didn't know what to say.

"General, Han finally attempted, rising from his chair. "I've got a lot of garbage behind me to take care of, most of it worse'n that report of yours makes it.

You've got enough trouble staying one jump ahead of Vader and his troopers without adding on the risk of being tracked down by any

number of bounty hunters or military police out for my hide."

Rieekan was not daunted. "It's a standing offer. We'll keep your cover. " He said, rising to his feet. "We have a position for you when you're ready to accept it.

We may be idealistic -- some of us a little too much so -- but we know enough to appreciate genuine leadership potential when we see it."

"Even Princess Leia would be impressed with your qualifications." Rieekan smiled.

"You mean, she doesn't know about any of this?" Han was genuinely surprised.

"Rieekan's head shook, "Only that a security check was run and that you were cleared. 

"Did she order it?" Han was never more serious in his life.

Rieekan looked Han straight in the eye. "No. I took that responsibility on myself. Only you and I know the results."

"And what if I hadn't been cleared?"

Rieekan laughed quietly. "Then those four executions you mentioned would've already taken place. We wouldn't be having this conversation."

For a moment, both men were silent.

Han finally spoke. "I'd rather the Princess didn't know about my past," he said, "not now."

The older man's brows arched. "That's not a request many men with your abilities -- and reputation, would make."

The pilot shrugged modestly. "Let's just say, I want Her Royalness to know me as I am now; a smuggler."

"It will go no further, then." Rieekan assured Solo as he handed him the print out.

Han took the papers, and under the General's approving eye, ripped them to shreds.


End file.
